Harry and Hermione - Friends who know the Truth
by Meg11cat
Summary: Harry and Hermione always enjoy each others company. They like to laugh about the muggle things that their friends don't understand. And during a conversation that's just between them, they reveal that they know each other well enough to know the others secret. Harry/Hermione Friendship. Missing Moment from HBP. One-shot.


**Authors Note: I do not own any rights to the beloved Harry Potter books or the movies. They belong to J.K. Rowling who was generous enough to share her story with the world. **

**All references to the books and movies will have an ***

_This is just a moment between Harry and Hermione. They express their concerns to each other regarding the ones they love. It is inspired by a couple of movie moments between the witch and wizard. _

_There is the moment in the HBP movie where Hermione is warning Harry about the love potion. She says the girl only likes him because she thinks he is the chosen one, to which he replies "But I am the chosen one." And she hits him over the head with a newspaper. I thought that was really funny. _

_And then there is the moment from the DH part 1 movie when they dance together. While I am aware that this moment was kind of weird for some, I really enjoyed the moment because I think it illustrated Harry and Hermione's friendship very sweetly. _

_This moment takes place during HBP._

* * *

**Harry and Hermione - Friends know the truth.**

Ever since the troll, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had always been a trio. But each had a friendship individually with another. Harry and Hermione had always enjoyed spending their time together.

In the beginning, Harry thought Hermione was a little wound up, always following the rules, always putting homework ahead of occasional fun. But now, Harry knew he was lucky to have someone like Hermione as his best friend. He really couldn't imagine school without her there.

Harry thought that he and Hermione had a special connection that, in part, included coming from the muggle world. She understood things that Ron and their classmates did not. It was like their own secret language. And then there was the fact that she knew, in her own way, how and why Harry felt so loved in this world of magic, where he was treated worse than dog poo at the Dursley's. No one he had meet, who cared about him, could understand why and had a hard time accepting his hard childhood. She was always by his side from Transfiguration homework to battles at the Ministry. She never wavered in her loyalty to him and he was always grateful for that.

Hermione never thought that when she got on the train to Hogwarts, not long after learning that she was a witch, that she would meet and _become friends with_ Harry Potter. She knew all about him of course, even before that first of September.* Now, their friendship was as strong as ever. She understood things about Harry that, she thought sometimes, even he didn't understand. She understood what he had to do for the word they lived in and she didn't sugar coat it at all. She loved that they were always able to laugh together, usually when their friends didn't understand what something from the muggle world was, like a telephone or stamps.

Harry and Hermione where sitting together, both lost in their own thoughts. They often spent their time together like this, but neither one of them minded. In fact, each of them in their own ways they liked spending time just being together. There was no awkwardness of sitting in silence for them, no need to force conversation when it wasn't there. That was because their friendship had always been strong.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Thanks for being my friend."

"It's my pleasure." Hermione had a bit of surprise in her voice. She had not expected Harry to say such a thing. He was always so sweet. "And thanks for being my friend. I don't know what I would do without you this year." She sighed.

"Yeah, about that -" Harry said, "You better get a move on - that boy is head over heels, he just needs someone smarter than he is to point it out to him." Harry looked at her and smiled knowingly at Hermione.

Hermione was shocked. Harry knew. Harry knew that she was in love with the third member of their group, who was missing at the moment because he was off snogging that insufferable girl, Lavender.

"How..?"

"Oh come on Hermione. It's obvious, at least to me. You are one of my best friends. And the closest thing I have to a sister."

"Well..._brother_... I am sure I don't know what your talking about." Hermione said, darting her eyes away from Harry and doing her best to deny what he had implied even if she knew it was a stupid attempt. She knew Harry's secret too. "At least I haven't fallen for my best mate's little sister." Harry's eyes shot straight up at her and she knew she had hit something.

"I..I..uh. You know too? We know each other well then I guess."

Hermione was shaking her head and smiling. She didn't think he would give in that easily to admitting he was in love with Ginny Weasley.

"So." Hermione said, letting go of the secret she tried to keep from her famous best friend, "When exactly did you figure it out then?"

"Well..hmm. I don't know that there was really an obvious moment until your argument over the Yule Ball. But I noticed the way you looked at him sometimes during third year. And Ron told me that when I approached Buckbeak for the first time, you got scared and grabbed his hand for a moment. He really didn't know what to do about that."*

"Why... I was scared that the hippogriff was going to hurt you."  
She hadn't forgotten that incident though. Just touching his hand for a moment had caused a jolt of energy to run through her body. She had thought about that moment for a long time after it had happened too. "What did he say about it?"

"What? Oh. Well, I guess he told me he thought it was kind of awkward."

"Oh."

"Don't you worry that brilliant head of yours Hermione. Whether Ron knows it or not, he loves you. I know that, the rest of Gryffindor knows that. He will figure it out soon."

Hermione smiled for a moment at the compliment that she was now used to hearing. "Thanks Harry." Then she became pensive at that thought. She always received the same compliment. Harry noticed the look on her face.  
She said, "I guess that's all people notice about me though - my smarts. All he cares about is looks. He has proven that to be a fact."

"I wouldn't be so sure."  
Hermione looked at Harry, confused.  
"He has been trying to get away from Lavender for weeks now. He just... he really doesn't want to hurt her feelings."

"I wish he had been so considerate before. I mean, we agreed to go together to Slughorn's party before he kissed her, didn't we? I guess his 16 year old boy hormones got him carried away."

Harry burst out laughing because he knew it couldn't have been truer. Hermione gave him her famous piercing look. "Ron has never been one to act before thinking."

"And your'e the opposite, are you?"

That question made Harry stop laughing.  
"Well, maybe not always. But I am improving. Ron is the same as the day we saved you from the troll!"  
"Is that why you haven't told him you fancy his sister?"  
"I thought we were talking about you."  
"Not anymore."  
"He told me that he wishes he could clobber Dean for dating Ginny."  
"Well, _that's_ mature."  
"It _is_ Ron... What would he do to me if he says that about Dean? I don't like to think about it. Besides, Ginny doesn't fancy me."  
"You can really be thick sometimes, can't you?" Hermione said, exasperated by Harry's last statement.  
"Huh?"  
"Harry James Potter - Ginny Weasley has fancied you since her first year!"  
"What? Really? Then why is she with Dean?"  
"She is trying to get over you. She doesn't know that you like her back."

Harry was quiet. He was thinking about this information that Hermione had provided him. Ginny Weasley fancied him? He couldn't wrap his head around it. She was funny, attractive, smart. And yeah, she had nice skin too.*  
Then Hermione said,  
"She will figure it out soon. She is not a daft as her brother."  
"I hope so. I can't stop thinking about her..."

Just then Ron walked in, Lavender attached to his hip. Harry looked over at Hermione. "Good night Harry." And she disappeared up the stairs to the girls dormitory before he could say another word."  
"What's got her wand in a knot?"* Ron whispered to Harry.  
Harry sighed. What was he suppose to say to his best mate about his other best mate? He gave the only answer he could, "You." And he walked away and headed up to his own bed to contemplate his own woes of the heart. He could always count on Hermione to make things more complicated. But boy, if knowing that Ginny liked him was the price then it was worth it.


End file.
